King wears Greek flag tie days after Sunak Elgin Marbles row

The King wore a tie emblazoned with the Greek flag as he met Rishi Sunak at the COP28 summit in Dubai, days after the Prime Minister was embroiled in a diplomatic row over the Elgin Marbles.

King Charles also wore the tie and a matching handkerchief while making a keynote address in front of delegates from around the world, in which he warned that human survival will be “imperiled” without urgent action on climate change.

It follows a row between Mr Sunak and his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis earlier this week over the Elgin Marbles, also known as the Parthenon sculptures.

The Prime Minister cancelled a meeting with Mr Mitsotakis on Monday after the Greek premier urged the UK to change its stance on the artefacts.

No 10 claimed the Greek Prime Minister had reneged on a promise not to “re-litigate” the matter, prompting an angry denial from Athens which accused Mr Sunak of playing political games.

Greece has long called for the Elgin Marbles to be returned to the country, but the UK Government has insisted the artefacts are part of the permanent collection of the British Museum and not subject to negotiation.

Mr Sunak appeared to stoke tensions further on Wednesday as he accused Greece of “grandstanding” over the issue during Prime Minister’s Questions.

“It was clear that the purpose of the meeting was not to discuss substantive issues for the future, but rather to grandstand and re-litigate issues of the past,” said Mr Sunak. “My view is when people make commitments they should keep them.”

The Prime Minister denied having a “hissy fit” over the subject on Friday, and said it was a “matter of law” that the Elgin Marbles could not be returned to Greece.

“We’ve been unequivocal about that. And I think the British Museum’s website itself says that in order for the loans to happen the recipient needs to acknowledge the lawful ownership of the country that’s lending the things,” the Prime Minister told reporters during the COP28 summit.

However, the King’s sartorial choice appears to have complicated the situation, with Greek media hailing it as a “subtle message” in support of the country. The King’s late father, Prince Phillip, was born in Greece.

Royals have previously been accused of using their outfit choices to show tacit support in complex diplomatic matters.

The late Queen fuelled speculation that she was showing her coded support for the European Union when she wore a blue hat adorned with yellow flowers during the state opening of Parliament in 2017.

The image even prompted Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament lead negotiator on Brexit, to claim: “Clearly the EU still inspires some in the UK”.

Angela Kelly, the Queen’s long-time dresser, denied the claims in her book, The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe, claiming the monarch’s sartorial choice was a “coincidence”.

Queen Elizabeth II also appeared to show her support for Ukraine by wearing a yellow outfit with a blue flower during the official opening of the Elizabeth Line in May last year.

It comes as the King clashed with Mr Sunak’s environment agenda at the COP28 summit on Friday as he called for immediate action on climate change.

The King opened his speech with stark comments about the threat facing the planet, warning that the world’s “economy and survivability will be imperiled” without urgent action.

Environmentalists noted the contrast between the monarch’s dire warnings and the actions of Mr Sunak, who has come under fire for U-turning on a number of green policies.